Breaking the Butterfly
by Unwillingly Me
Summary: Azula was never one to make a big deal out of little things. She acted appropriately according to the situation. And one burn to the butterfly kept it in line and kept her in control.


**This is a warning. I wouldn't care this a happy story in any way, shape, or form. This is really sad, no matter how hard you squint your eyes. I'm warning you of abuse because abuse for the sake of power is a serious thing, you know? Alright.**

**Anyways, ATLA belongs to Bryke, not me. Glad we've sorted that out.**

* * *

It was simple. Azula didn't care. She didn't regret what she just did. She wasn't going to apologize to Ty Lee. In fact, she ignored Ty Lee's pained sobs and continued to make her way down the hall to her room. There was nothing that said that she was wrong. Besides, being the princess, nothing Azula did could be deemed as wrong.

While most people would feel some sort of remorse, Azula felt a slight satisfaction. She had put Ty Lee into her place. She had proven to the acrobat that nothing would ever put them on the same level. As if Ty Lee hadn't already known that. Of course Ty Lee had known that.

That wasn't the problem though. The problem was that Ty Lee was acting like there wasn't a gap between them. Ty Lee was just Ty Lee. Azula was the princess. There was a gap, and they would never be equals. Never. Never ever. Ty Lee was a girl that ran away to the circus and would have never returned had Azula not coerced her. Coerced was a harsh word. Azula simply reminded Ty Lee where her place was in the world. As the girl that would loyally follow Azula wherever—no matter what the cost was. Because that was Ty Lee's place. She was a loyal subject. Or at least, she was supposed to be a loyal subservient.

But due to her subtle acts of insubordination, like siding with Mai on a petty argument that Azula was obviously on the right side of, were worthy of banishment. Really, they were. Ty Lee should have thanked her for the mercy she displayed. She could have marked her as a fool without honor like Zuko had been. No, Azula had been merciful.

She could have had Ty Lee executed, but she didn't. She didn't make a big deal out of it. She merely took matters into her own hands and acted in the most appropriate way. And how did Ty Lee thank her? By crying in a grand room like a silly, little, Earth Kingdom peasant girl that had just gotten her favorite doll burned to ashes. Despite the satisfaction that the princess felt, she still felt cold anger freezing her veins.

Ty Lee should have thanked her.

Ty Lee should have been grateful for the mercy she displayed, allowing the acrobat to stay. For not banishing her. But she wasn't. She wasn't.

Ty Lee was still alive, wasn't she? Oh yes, and so she should have been on her knees thanking Azula and begging for forgiveness. Alas, that was not the case. Ty Lee was simply crying. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. That was what Ty Lee was. Completely and utterly pathetic. No thanks, no begging. She still didn't know her place entirely, did she?

Probably not. If she did, she would have said 'thank you' at least ten times. But she didn't. And that was rather infuriating to the princess. Lucky for Ty Lee, Azula managed to convince herself that it would be a waste to return to where she had left the acrobat.

* * *

"Ty Lee, are you okay?" Both Azula and Ty Lee look at Zuko in surprise, neither expecting him to notice anything different from the day before. And to think that it was only just past dawn. Well, perhaps Zuko wasn't quite as stupid as Azula had thought him to be.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The acrobat refused to meet the princess's eyes as she spoke. Then she got up and left. That was when Azula noticed a new band decorating Ty Lee's arm.

"What was that about?"

"Honestly ZuZu, I don't know why you ask me stupid questions when it comes to Ty Lee."

"They're not stupid."

"Well, if you ask me, which you were, Ty Lee is a butterfly." Azula found herself smiling wickedly at what she was saying.

"Go on."

"And she's simply had her wings burned."


End file.
